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A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton is expected to sell for £4.8million when it is auctioned next month.
The 66 million year old dinosaur measures 15 feet tall by 40 feet long and is one of the largest ever discovered.The female skeleton, named Samson, is made up of 170 bones and is more than 50 per cent complete.Its head is undistorted and one of the most complete in existence.
Samson was found in South Dakota, United States, in 1987 and excavated in 1992.

Experts have mounted the skeleton ready for sale at the Venetian hotel, Las Vegas, on October 3. It had previously been stored in a crate.

Thomas Lindgren, co-consulting Director of Natural History at auctioneers Bonhams & Butterfields, hopes the skeleton will be bought by a museum.
Samson’s skull is one of the most complete in existence

Good condition: Samson’s skull is one of the most complete in existence’We have had tremendous worldwide interest in Samson,’ he said.’Although we cannot predict who the successful buyer will be, it is our hope that a museum or institution will find the funding to purchase it.’I estimate it will sell for between £3.6million and £4.8million.’Samson is one of the largest known Tyrannosaurus specimens ever discovered.’It boasts an undistorted and virtually complete skull, which is considered to be one of the most complete in existence.

‘It has been prepared and beautifully mounted on a custom armature and can be clearly identified as a dinosaur.’More

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I’ve got some bad news for the little critter who lives between my stove and my sink: He’s not the biggest cockroach in the world. That honor goes to Heathcliffe, a giant Australian burrowing cockroach now on display at Sydney University. Heathcliffe, and cockroaches like him, grow to be as big as 3.5 inches—or roughly as long as an iPhone—and can end up weighing more than an ounce (which in the bug world means avoid horizontal stripes).

What’s more, creepy crawlers like Heathcliffe are considered “great pets” Down Under, Sydney University senior biology lecturer Dr. Nathan Lo tells the Daily Telegraph. “They are totally unrelated to the American cockroach.” For instance, the Aussie bugs give birth to live young, not eggs, then tuck their babies into burrows while they go out and collect gum leaves for the kids to eat—survival skills they picked up after adapting to the cooling of Australia’s rainforests about 5 million years ago. Quite possibly, says Dr. Lo, the stout and sturdy Australian cockroach is “the heaviest of all insects. They are certainly a contender.”

Heathcliffe’s moment in the sun won’t last long—he’s on display for just a while before returning to the home of one of the university’s media managers, who keeps him as a pet. You can buy a pair of your own Australian burrowing cockroaches for around $100 (tiny roach leashes not included). As for me, I guess I’m stuck with the little fella who lives down under my sink.

Rate this:

I’ve got some bad news for the little critter who lives between my stove and my sink: He’s not the biggest cockroach in the world. That honor goes to Heathcliffe, a giant Australian burrowing cockroach now on display at Sydney University. Heathcliffe, and cockroaches like him, grow to be as big as 3.5 inches—or roughly as long as an iPhone—and can end up weighing more than an ounce (which in the bug world means avoid horizontal stripes).

What’s more, creepy crawlers like Heathcliffe are considered “great pets” Down Under, Sydney University senior biology lecturer Dr. Nathan Lo tells the Daily Telegraph. “They are totally unrelated to the American cockroach.” For instance, the Aussie bugs give birth to live young, not eggs, then tuck their babies into burrows while they go out and collect gum leaves for the kids to eat—survival skills they picked up after adapting to the cooling of Australia’s rainforests about 5 million years ago. Quite possibly, says Dr. Lo, the stout and sturdy Australian cockroach is “the heaviest of all insects. They are certainly a contender.”

Heathcliffe’s moment in the sun won’t last long—he’s on display for just a while before returning to the home of one of the university’s media managers, who keeps him as a pet. You can buy a pair of your own Australian burrowing cockroaches for around $100 (tiny roach leashes not included). As for me, I guess I’m stuck with the little fella who lives down under my sink.

Actress Tippi Hedren, founder and president of Shambala Preserve in Acton, Calif., said that evacuating her 100 wild animals wouldn’t be prudent since they aren’t in imminent danger.

“We have a very, very good plan with the fire department,” Hedren said to FOX News. “We will stay where we are, let the fire department do their job and we will do ours.”

Other animal sanctuaries in the area have already been evacuated, including Animal Acres.

On a side note: VCA Animal Hospital facilities located near the fire are offering free boarding for companion animals whose families have been evacuated or displaced as a result of the current firestorms. To get a list of all the VCA Animal Hospitals in your area visit VCAPets.com.